UN: 'Infernal' 3°C temperature rise

The world is on track for an "infernal" 3°C rise in global temperatures, the UN warns ahead of the crucial Cop28 Climate Summit starting next week in the United Arab Emirates.

"A drop in the ocean" the poleswhatkes to reduce CO2

The UN Environment Program (Unep) report found that current policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are so inadequate that 3°C ​​warming will be achieved this century.

Temperature records have already been broken 2023 and intensifying heatwaves, floods and droughts have claimed lives and damaged livelihoods around the world, while temperatures have risen by just 1,4°C to date. The scientists they say much worse is to come if the temperature continues to rise, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly said the world is heading for a "hell" future, as the Guardian writes.

Prepare for even worse consequences, Guterres says

The report says that implementing future policies already pledged by countries could reduce the 0,1°C limit by 3°C. Implementing emissions reductions promised to developing countries on the condition that they receive financial and technical support would reduce the temperature rise by 2,5°C, which is still a catastrophic scenario.

Almost half of global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 2030

According to the report, to meet the internationally agreed target of 1,5°C, 22 billion tonnes of CO2 must be reduced from today's projected total in 2030. This is 42% of global emissions and equivalent to the production of five worst polluters in the world today: China, USA, India, Russia and Japan.

Inger Andersen, executive director of Unep, said: “There is no human or economy on the planet unaffected by climate change, so we must stop setting unwanted records in emissions, temperature and extreme weather. Instead, we need to pull the needle out of the same old rut of under-action and start setting other records: in reducing emissions and in climate finance.”

"Insanity" plans to expand fossil fuel production

The United Nations warned earlier in November that the world's fossil fuel producers were planning furthertrends which will blow the planet's carbon budget twice, something experts have called "madness". Another recent report found that the UAE's state-owned oil company, whose chief executive Sultan Al Jaber will chair Cop28, has the largest net-zero-destroying expansion plans of any company in the world.